Claudia Topper
by KJay99
Summary: This is how I think the end of the episode of "Claudia" from season 1 should have ended.
1. Return

**All right dear readers.**

**This story is what I think should have happened at the end of Claudia from season 1. This is going back a while, so for those of you with limited sort term memory space, a refresher (and perhaps spoiler) is this:  
Our own beloved Claudia kidnapped old Artie to force him to get her brother back. He was undercover as a professor at a college where Joshua, her brother, worked and came across an artifact; Rheticus's compass. Artie wanted to see if it worked, so he pressured Joshua into using it before Artie bagged it, resulting in Joshua getting stuck for 12 years in inter-dimensional space. Long story short, Claudia and Artie figure out how to recreate the teleportation and go into the dimensional space.  
This is where I pick up the story.**

**Please feel free to read, review and comment. **

* * *

"Well, I'm not an expert, but…" Artie looked up at the two young people stuck with him in the inter-dimensional space with him. He said to Claudia and Joshua, "Maybe- hold on?"

Claudia looked to her big brother with hope, then back to Artie. Joshua leaned in and put his hand on Rheticus's Compass, followed by Claudia. Artie took one more look at the two young people who's future he literally held in his hands. _"Ok."_ He thought to himself. _"Time to fix my mistake."_ Artie gripped the compass and with one finger, followed the hidden instructions and turned the dial ninety degrees to the right.

The static walls flashed and zapped. Claudia looked over her shoulder, then at Joshua, making sure he was all right. Her brother looked back at her and smiled. They were looking at each other as the inter-dimensional space that held Joshua a prisoner for twelve years collapsed.

* * *

Pete and Myka stood, stunned in Joshua's lab. The place was where the rogue teenager, Claudia Donovan, took their boss hostage and did who knew what to make him help her. They had found him and busted in to find them both bloodied, and worn. Claudia was unconscious and Artie was in a testy mood when he saw them, to say the least. Then, they had both disappeared in a wind storm that ended in a flash of light.

Pete slumped. His career wasn't on the best track lately, but he had never lost a superior to a freaky light show before. He looked around trying to find some magic stuff to get them back. He stumbled over to some test tubes that looked as promising as anything.

Myka sighed though parted lips. A crinkle appeared in her brow as she tried to process what she just saw. She glanced around the large room, finding no answers to the craziness that she just witnessed. "Pete?"

"Did we lose them Myka?" Pete's boyish face displayed his misery.

"I -" Myka felt her partner's anguish. She couldn't bring herself to answer him, knowing that if she said it then it would be somehow more real.

Suddenly, electricity cracked the air. The partners looked around, then exchanged a concerned glance. Neither one knew what to expect next from the crazy, insane job they just got at the Warehouse. Pete walked up to Myka, seeking to tackle whatever happened next with her, together.

Paper flew around the lab. Lightning cracked and then Artie, Joshua and Claudia were there holding a wood box with brass panels.

"Artie?" Pete said.

His boss glanced up at Pete, making eye contact. Pete saw Artie's eyes glass over. They rolled up a little bit. Blood fell onto his shirt and his knees wobbled. Pete felt Myka grab his arm when Artie fell.

"Claudia!" Joshua yelled out. He reached out and barely caught his sister from falling to the floor. The girl simply closed her eyes and crumbled.

Artie hit the ground hard. The room spun around him, but he focused only on Claudia. The girl was pale and limp as Joshua frantically tried to wake her. "Claudia…" Artie groaned. He rolled to his stomach and crawled, reaching out a bloodied hand to grab her cold wrist.

Myka and Pete reached them. Pete shook Artie who groaned and closed his eyes. "Artie!"

"What happened to them?" Myka demanded of Joshua.

"I- I don't know! They used the compass." The deceptively young man motioned to the box lying forgotten on the ground.

Pete looked to Myka who nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out purple gloves and a neutralizing bag. Myka looked at Claudia and instructed Joshua to tilt her head to allow for her massive nose bleed to drain.

Faster than he thought he could, Pete had his gloves on and the bag open. He took a breath, hesitating just long enough to say a quick prayer that the compass's spell on Claudia and Artie would be broken. He dropped the compass into the static bag. The artifact sparked just a little bit, glowing then extinguishing for just a moment in a rather unimpressive way.

Pete looked at Artie, then at Myka. Myka tore her eyes away from Claudia. She shook her head at him, worry evident. Pete said, "It didn't work."

Joshua looked from one agent to the other. "What? What didn't?"

Myka didn't know what Joshua already knew, but she wasn't able to tell him about artifacts and what they might or not be able to do. Her mind snapped back to practical matters. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. "Ambulance." She told Pete.

Her partner kneeled next to Artie. "Yeah." Pete switched with Myka, helping Joshua while Myka stood and called 911.

A minute later, Myka came back to the group. Pete had gotten Artie to twitch when he slapped him but Claudia was still completely unresponsive, throwing Joshua into near hysterics.

"I told the professor to destroy the lightning rod." He wiped hair from Claudia's pale and sweaty face, guilt evident in his voice. "Just look at her."

Myka put her phone back into her pocket. "Hospital is on the campus, they'll be here any minute."

Joshua looked at the agents, "I'm going to take her to them." Pete helped him stand with Claudia in his arms. As Joshua lifted her, Artie's hand rose with Claudia's until her brother pulled her away letting Artie's arm fall limply to the floor.


	2. Minerals

**Thank you for the great response! **

**Love the reviews. Interesting to see that someone else had the same idea! :)**

**Lets see what happens from here.**

* * *

The old agent groaned. Pete and Myka roused their boss. Artie lifted his head, realizing that he was finding himself on the floor, yet again that day. He groaned again. If he had the energy, he would have lost his lunch when he realized that he was laying in a growing pool of his own blood leaking from his rather sizable schnoz.

Pete and Myka picked Artie up and got him into a sitting position. Artie squeezed his nose and mustache. He cringed at the blood covering his purple gloves. "Take them off. Take them off." He begged his agents, needing to get the repulsive fluid away from him. He repeated himself until Myka and Pete peeled the gloves off of his hands and threw them away from them.

Myka pressed her fingers into Artie's wrist. "Artie, you have to calm down. Your heart rate-"

Artie's eye darted around the room. He cut off Myka. "Claudia!" He tried to get up, but Pete held him down. "Where's- where is she? Is she ok? Wh-?"

Myka glanced at Pete and said, "Joshua took her to meet the ambulance. But Artie, we have to stop your bleeding."

Artie breathed heavily. He couldn't seem to catch his breath. He heard Myka and so wiped his nose with the tail of his shirt, turning his head away from looking at his own blood. The old man gasped, still huffing, like his lungs didn't work. His pulse pounded in his ears, and his heart was beating out of his chest. He blinked hard. Something that Claudia said to him meant something here. He shook his head, trying to retrieve the memory.

Pete said, "Artie?"

Artie ignored him. He looked down and then remembered Claudia saying, _"It's the __**minerals**__ professor!" _Artie gasped, prompting Myka to put her hand on his shoulder.

"Minerals…" He said.

"What? Artie what?" Myka asked.

Suddenly, Artie understood. "The compass! We teleported without the compass! How could I have let her take such a risk! Why didn't I see this?" Artie moaned and cringed as he tried to get up again.

"Hey Artie man… maybe you should take it easy." Pete said, not wanting to be too forward with his rather new boss.

"No! No! It's—" Artie huffed, his eyes darting as if he was feeling something out. "Iron. Iron! At least… minerals. Claudia." He turned and pulled on the desk that he was leaning against, until he was standing.

Artie swayed, but stayed on his feet. Myka and Pete stood in front of him, conflicted between waiting for orders and disobeying them for his sake. Artie said, "Claudia. Where is she?" Myka hesitated. "WHERE?!" Artie yelled sharply, making both of them jump.

"Out front." Myka gave in.

Artie brushed by the both of them and stumbled to the few stairs leading up to the entry way.

Pete shrugged at Myka who huffed. They both rushed after him.


	3. Message and Motion

**Oh my goodness. This has been hidden away in my head for so long, that it's almost alarming to see it out. **

**Thank you, everyone who has read, favorited, and especially to those who reviewed.**

**Thx Maria Rene, great feedback and thanks for helping me wrestle that last sentence into something that's respectable. 1Shadow-kun and Steampunk-archer, thanks for taking the time to comment! **

* * *

Pete caught Artie's arm and helped him up the last of the steps. The old man was huffing and breathing alarmingly heavy, but he kept moving, driven by willpower and guilt. Artie pushed his weight against the double front doors, throwing them open and stumbling out into the street.

His cherry red jag was parked across the street from the lab but Artie's eyes went to the pale and bloodied face that was half hidden behind an oxygen mask. Paramedics were hurriedly loading Claudia, strapped onto a stretcher, into the back of an ambulance.

Guilt crashed over Artie at seeing Claudia so hurt. His face crumpled, barely holding back tears in favor of rushing to her.

Joshua pulled himself into the ambulance to ride with his sister. One of the paramedics yanked the door closed, not hearing Pete's yell. Pete beat on the door, reaching it a second before Artie, who doubled over and gasped for breath.

"Hey, Wait!" Pete yelled. He beat a fist on the door and grabbed Artie's brown shirt with his other hand to keep him standing.

Just when they both thought that the ambulance would pull away, the door clicked open. A young man in a white paramedic's shirt leaned out. "Sir, I can't-"

"Professor!" Joshua put his hand on the paramedic. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I just wanted Claud-" He stopped and turned to the medic. "He was caught in the same experiment that she was."

The young medic looked at Artie. Blood from his nose had started to drip onto his shirt again. "Get him in." the paramedic said.

Josh and the medic grabbed Artie and, with Pete pushing from behind, they managed to heave the portly, gasping Warehouse supervisor into the ambulance.

"We'll meet you at the hospital!" Pete said as the doors closed.

* * *

Artie was grabbed and seated against the side wall of the ambulance. A second medic slapped the front wall and a second later the truck was in motion.

Artie gasped and sucked in air, but nothing helped. He had to tell them how to help Claudia. "It's iron…." His voice was hardly above a whisper in between his breaths. "Josh- Joshua."

"Just breathe normally sir." A paramedic deftly put an oxygen mask over Artie's face, overcoming his weak protests.

"Nn.. no. Joshua." Artie mumbled but his voice was lost in the mask.

Joshua had tears down his cheeks as he brushed a sweaty strand of hair away from his sister's face. Claudia was chalk white and her mask barely fogged up when she lightly exhaled into it. A medic wedged gauze under the mask to allow the blood from her nose drain out. The two men rushed to hook her up to life giving fluids. A machine clamped to her finger sounded an alarm until it was silenced. The numbers that it displayed about Claudia's condition were dismal.

Artie nearly choked on the responsibility that he felt. He put them all into this situation by his actions 12 years ago. Claudia wouldn't be dying in front of him if only he had not been so reckless.

He ripped the mask off his face. "Iron!" He gasped out, getting everyone's attention. "She needs iron. More oxygen won't help her without it. Claudia was right. It was the minerals from… from the compass. They've been pulled out of her." He had to stop to gasp for breath.

Joshua pieced it together. "Teleportation… the reaction! She fueled it? You both did." He added. The intelligent young man thought as he said, "Without iron… her blood can't carry oxygen." Artie nodded wordlessly, not able to spare the energy to speak.

Joshua turned to the medics. "She needs iron, now! Do you have supplements? Zinc, and magnesium too…" Joshua directed the medics who started searching their supplies, armed with the new information.

Artie leaned his head back once his message was delivered, but he had to tilt his head forward again to let his nose drip onto his shirt. He finally understood that his heart was racing in an attempt to give his body oxygen that his blood couldn't deliver. His blood pressure had skyrocketed, giving him and Claudia the continual nose bleeds.

The old man lifted his head just enough to look at Claudia. She was twice as bad off as he was, lying there with her life slipping away. The three men rushed around her, trying desperately to save her. Artie's eyes moistened seeing her tiny frame so fragile and vulnerable, showing signs of the woman she was to become, but still very much the child that he held the hand of years ago. Feelings of guilt and responsibility threatened to bury him and he willingly let them. "_I tried to save them both, but I only traded Claudia's life for Joshua's. He made it out, and now she's lying there dying! I failed!" _His deep brown eyes displayed his suffering if anyone were to look. Artie's chest rose and fell as his emotions didn't help to calm his breathing.

He thought, "_Her life was ruined because of what I did years ago and she's paying the price for my mistakes." _Artie cursed his agent instinct, always having to follow the clue. "_I put her life in danger because I was arrogant enough to think that I could bring them both back alive. What if we couldn't figure out the secret compartment? Or the riddle? I can risk my own life, but who am I to sacrifice Claudia? She had- HAS- such a quick and determined mind, and I make her suffer for my mistakes." _The old man gasped and huffed. "_She has to live._ _Claudia has to live!"_

He weezed out, "Claudia…" But the red head didn't react to his call. She showed no signs of life, not responding to even Joshua's attempts to revive her. A new alarm went off in the ambulance, make one medic curse. He yelled a complicated word that meant nothing to Artie, but the frantic way that he moved and talked into a radio confirmed Artie's fears. He watched her lifeless face, hoping with everything in him and she would be ok; regretting his part in putting her there.

Everything went fuzzy as Artie's body succumbed to the stress it was under. His lungs worked over time, but they couldn't function while he was stripped of vital minerals. Artie's eyes were on Claudia's face when they closed and his head fell to his chest.

"Sir? Sir!?" A medic saw Artie pass out and quickly put the oxygen mask back on him.

Blood dripped to the bottom of the mask on Artie's still frame, a contrast to the hectic activity of the medics around Claudia's motionless body.


	4. Triage

**Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed. Also to Maria Rene and Lynnutte who have helped edit and review this chapter.**

* * *

Hazy images appeared in Artie's mind. Flashes of Pete and Myka opening up the ambulance door and finding him left behind after everyone rushed to care for Claudia. Pete yelled for help while Myka climbed up into the ambulance. She spoke to him, her voice spiking high with nerves, but he couldn't make out what she was saying.

Behind his agent, Artie saw that Claudia was gone. His eyebrow twitched with the effort it took to focus. Before he could try to ask about her, his head fell and his eyes closed.

* * *

Lights and tiles made a square pattern on the ceiling. A white wall and a dull faux wood door rolled by. Then, a woman's face came close to Artie's.

"Sir? Sir? Can you hear me?" A brunette with her hair pulled straight back raised her voice to him, even thought she was a foot from his face. "Sir? Can you tell me your name?"

Artie tried to swallow and failed. He got his lips to work and spared a breath that he desperately needed and breathed out, "Minerals." The woman instinctively turned her ear towards him to better hear his faint voice. "Minerals."

"What? Miracles?" The lady gave Artie a look, wondering if that was a request.

Artie pressed his eyes closed. He knew that he had to get the information to her to save himself. "I- iron. I need… iron. Minerals-" He cringed and let out a short scream in the woman's face, reacting to a pain deep in his midsection. The woman pulled back, alarmed. She yelled something that he missed because a dark nothing came to claim him with a vengeance and he fell into blackness.

* * *

Myka and Pete watched the activity around their boss from outside the ER room. One, then another partner would look in only to be escorted out. It was evident to both agents that the medical staff was frustrated over how to help their boss.

Myka returned from her turn of checking on Artie. Pete looked to her, hoping for some good news, but Myka shook her head. Pete sighed and stood up stretching. Releasing a breath, he blurted out, "I hate being helpless!"

Myka bit her lip, trying to think of some way to help the situation. "Maybe we can check on the girl, Claudia."

Pete nodded, happy for something to do, but just then Joshua walked into the room. The young man looked stressed and his hair was wet with sweat. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, holding his vest in his hand. Joshua cast his eyes around the room and found Pete and Myka. "You were the two with the Professor."

"Who?" Pete said.

Myka looked from Pete to Joshua and said, "You mean Artie?"

Joshua shook his head a bit at the redefinition. "Ah, yes. Artie. The professor. How is he doing?"

Pete said, "Not well. How's Claudia? Your sister right?"

A faint smile crossed Joshua's face. "Yeah. She stabilized."

"That's great." Pete said.

"Yeah." Joshua looked relieved. He ran his fingers through his kept, but longer brown hair. "Listen, they were both affected by the teleportation process-" Pete looked at a passing nurse, then shushed Joshua who moved closer and lowered his voice. "They were both affected. We figured out what helped Claudia, I bet it'll help the professor."

Myka reacted first. "Do you know what he needs?"

Joshua held up a sheet of paper with minerals and dosages on it. "Just has to be adjusted for his body weight."

Pete grabbed Joshua's arm and pulled him to the emergency room that Artie was in. Myka brought out her badge and ran interference for them, intimidating or flashing her credentials at anyone in their way until Pete pushed Joshua in front of the doctor.

Joshua glanced uncomfortably at a lump of shirtless flesh that he barely recognized as the professor. A machine was attached to him attempting to force oxygen into his lungs, the mask on his face colored with his blood. Other boxes displayed numbers or beeped around the room. Tubes and cords were everywhere. Joshua focused on the middle aged man in the doctor's coat. He was ordering a cocktail of medications to try to bring down Artie's blood pressure before the old man could have a heart attack or an aneurism.

"Wait, wait. Doctor!" Joshua interrupted.

"Who are you? You can't be in here."

"I know, but you have to listen to me. This man's life depends on it." Joshua's conviction, along with Myka and Pete looking tough right behind him made the doctor pause long enough for Joshua to explain himself.

He showed the doctor the missing minerals and what percentage was needed. "That's why he can't process oxygen."

The doctor frowned. "I'll have to verify this with the lab results."

"He doesn't have time for lab results! My sister and he both telep-" He was but off by Myka poking him from behind. "Uh- they both were in the same experiment. The side effects are the same. Use your medical knowledge! Look at his symptoms! It fits with chronic low iron." Joshua knew that he got though to the doctor by appealing to his scientific side.

"Listen, the risks of giving him too much iron are low. You can save his life." Joshua said. Pete and Myka exchanged worried looks, wondering if the kid did enough to convince the doctor.

The doctor looked at the list of missing metals. He took an excruciatingly long time, but then he turned to the nurse and said, "Get an iron infusion into his IV." The nurse looked at the intruders suspiciously, but left to fulfill his order.

The doctor looked to the agents and Joshua. "I'll get enough iron into him. But I'm going to cross check this list with his blood results before adding the rest."

Joshua nodded, relieved. "Thank you, doctor."

The doctor said, "Thanks for the information. Now get out of my ER."

"Of course." Joshua stepped back and left with Myka and Pete.


	5. Waking

**As in "Waking Up".  
**

**Thanks again to all who are still hanging in there with me. Sorry Steampunk-Archer, this chapter is even shorter. Lynnutte and NRA both gave me their input to help me smooth out some of the rough edges on this chapter. It's still rough, but here we go.**

* * *

A quiet, yet annoying beep sounded.

A second later, it sounded again. Then again, as if signifying time that was passing. It created a sense of urgency, a reminder that things were happening and that things we being missed.

Grudgingly, pushing his desire to rest aside, Artie struggled until he opened his eyes. He saw a white ceiling partitioned with black strips and sighed. The colors in his world had been dulled since being affected by the teleportation reaction in Joshua's lab.

His eyes snapped open. _Joshua!_ "Claudia!" his abused throat croaked out. He struggled to sit up, needing to find out what happened to her; if they were able to replace what the process took out of them both. If she died; if he killed her….

Artie grunted against his own body not responding fast enough. He got up on an elbow before a voice startled him.

"I wouldn't advise getting out of bed at this moment Arthur."

Artie turned his head so suddenly that the room spun. His brown eyes rolled unnaturally and he fell back down to the pillow. His chest rose and fell with his deep breaths, renewing his energy. After a moment, the old man smiled a bit, realizing that his lungs were working again.

He looked to his side and saw a black woman settle back into a chair. Her dark skin contrasted fashionably with the pink tweed suit that she was stuffed into. Her thickly rimmed red glasses and matching her patent leather purse completed the tightly composed persona of Mrs. Frederic. Relief flooded over Artie at seeing his boss. She put the color back into his world, again confirming that everything was working properly again.

"Mrs. Frederic." Artie said in greeting and acknowledgement.

The woman smiled as much as she did; reserved, yet not unkind. "Hello Arthur. How do you feel?"

Artie groaned. He felt like road kill with fifty pound weights tied to his extremities. His nose hurt badly, everything else was sore. Instead of focusing on himself, he asked, "Claudia, the girl. Is- is she ok? Where is she?"

Mrs. Frederic took a breath, giving him a rather annoyed look at his misplaced concern for the juvenile delinquent that kidnapped him. Alarmed at her reaction, Artie said, "Is Claudia ok? What happened?" He struggled to sit up, managing to prop himself up on his elbow before he realized that he wore only a flimsy medical garb. He ripped an annoying tube from his face to focus a worried look at her.

"Arthur, the girl is fine. You got the information to the medics in time to save her life. They were able to replace enough missing metals to get her to the hospital where her brother instructed the doctors to save you both." The woman informed him.

Artie hesitated at learning that Joshua helped treat him. Mrs. Frederic saw his hesitation. "It was a very near thing. You are both lucky to be here- in spite of your own actions." She let her voice go serious and shifted slightly, intending it as a rebuke to his recklessness.

The meaning wasn't lost on the supervisor. The side of Artie's mouth twitched under his pepper gray goatee. He looked like hell. Artie hadn't slept well in the days prior as he hunted down the troubles that Claudia sent into the Warehouse. He hadn't shaved in even longer. Aware of how he must have looked, Artie glanced up at his boss.

Mrs. Fredric sighed and stood up. "We will discuss this later." She pressed her lips together then added with a hint of annoyance, "After Leena has a chance to get some of her chicken soup into you." She knew there was a better time to discuss the consequences of Artie's actions than the present, especially considering his current condition.

Suddenly self conscious with only a thin excuse for a shirt he was wearing, Artie pulled up the only slightly thicker blanket. "Uh… I had… a shirt somewhere…" He blushed, embarrassed, glancing down at his partly exposed chest covered by the shirt that was held closed only by a dangerously loose knot.

The old agent glanced up and opened his mouth to apologize to his boss, but she was already gone. Expecting her to have disappeared, he was mildly surprised to see her retreating back through the window in the door. Artie took the rare chance to watch his mysterious boss leaving. He thought that perhaps he was beginning to figure her out after all the years of working with her. Maybe he was starting to crack her façade.

He huffed at finally getting one up on his boss. Artie shifted the elbow propping him up. Without the benefit of his glasses, Artie caught some earth color out of the corner of his eye. He did a double take at his clothes that appeared neatly folded at the foot of his bed. He glanced up and through the window, saw Mrs. Frederic turn and meet his eyes, as if knowing his surprise, before she turned around the corner.


	6. Angling

**Thanks to all who have read, and especially reviewed. **

**A special thanks goes out to my network of fellow writers who listen, review and advise. Lynnutte, Maria Rene, LadyNRA, and Kendralanora. You all have your specialties and are gracious to allow me to borrow your brains from time to time. **

**I hope that everyone enjoys. **

* * *

The old man managed to get himself mostly put together before Pete and Myka came into his room. It took him so long just to get his pants on that he suspected Mrs. Frederic of stalling for him before letting his agents check on him.

"Should you be out of bed yet?" Myka asked; ever the rational one.

Pete chimed in, "Yeah Artie, why push it?" Artie shot them both a highly annoyed look at their comments and at Pete, who was poking around food on his tray, long forgotten. "You got it good here, free food." Pete jerked back and crinkled his nose at the bland and awful looking stuff.

Artie, moving slowly, mumbled, "I have to… check on Claudia and Joshua." He rubbed his forehead making his eyebrows stand straight up. His muddled mind was racing; considering all kinds of possibilities, not the least of which was the possible side effects of being trapped for 12 years in an inter-dimensional prison. "Joshua- he might, the compass… I just have to um-"Artie tried twice to get his out of the hospital shirt, but had to admit that his body just wasn't responding well quite yet. He held up his shirt to Pete. "Ah… would you…"

"Oh, sure thing." Pete stepped forward to help.

Myka averted her eyes. "I'm just going to… check on Joshua and Claudia… um- outside." She spun and promptly left.

* * *

A while later, a compromise was reached: Pete helped Artie get into his own shirt, but his legs were far from stable, so Pete found a wheel chair and managed to convince Artie that it was the best way to check on the Joshua and Claudia; and so it was that Pete was pushing Artie in a wheel chair down a hall way on the third floor of the hospital, looking for the Donovan siblings.

Artie was exceedingly grumpy at the arrangement, the hospital, his condition, and everything else he could think about; sulking and thinking as the rooms went by. He was consciously tuning out Pete's nervous attempt at conversation until the pace slowed. Myka walked up to them. Artie looked up and caught his breath. Beyond Myka, through the window in front of him, Artie saw Joshua sitting bedside and holding Claudia's hand.

Claudia, who had bravely suffered in her brother's absence, hunted down and kidnapped Artie. The girl that had pressured him until they rescued Joshua was unconscious in a hospital bed. Artie felt a fresh stab of the guilt that he managed to hold at bay assault him anew. He actually flinched at the pain. The old man's brown eyes and busy eyebrows held his burden. The girl was never as pale-white, frail and thin as she was in that moment. She laid in the hospital bed with tubes and machines hooked up to her. It was obvious by Joshua's nervousness and the way that he was watching her anxiously, that she was still very much in danger.

"I- I don't understand." Artie stammered quietly. "Mrs. Frederic said that…that she was…" Artie stopped, seeing a nurse enter Claudia's room. The male nurse wrote down some numbers on Claudia's chart and checked her fluids. He exchanged a few words with Joshua, then gave the young man a sad, sympathetic smile and left the room.

"Get him- the nurse." Artie said.

"Yeah." Pete flagged the nurse down and Myka started chatting to him, but just then they all heard Joshua call Claudia's name.

Artie's eyebrows arched in aching empathy, hoping more that he had dared to hope for anything in a very long time. Through the glass, Joshua leaned forward, delicately brushing a strand of hair from his little sister's face. Artie held his breath. The nurse's words were drowned out, nothing but unimportant white noise behind him as he focused all of his attention on Claudia's hurt face. Long seconds passed that were like torture to Artie, but then, Claudia stirred. Artie let out a whimper of excited hope. Joshua called to her again, and then, the girl opened her eyes.

Artie let out the breath that he had been holding. The old man could tell that Joshua was talking to Claudia. His eyebrows bunched and worry was held in his eyes until the brother choked back a sob and fell onto his sister's bed. Claudia's hand came up to hug Joshua. The simple motion of the siblings hugging caused relief to wash over Artie. The old man slumped at being released from the strain of worrying about Claudia. He put his head in his hand and breathed a sigh.

"The doctor will want to see know that she's awake. Excuse me." The nurse excused himself.

Pete smiled and cupped his hand on Artie's shoulder making him jump. "Looks like a happy ending all around, right boss?" Artie turned around just enough to give the man-child a withering glare. "I mean- Artie. I should have said Artie." Pete finished lamely.

Myka shot her partner an annoyed look, getting a boyish shrug in return.

Exhaustion settled over Artie. His body started to relax in the wheel chair, involuntarily succumbing to the stress and wear that he had been heaping on it lately. The old man closed his eyes and jerked against a pain pulsing in his temple, another sign that his body was still recovering. But, the Warehouse supervisor knew that he had to figure out what to do with Claudia and Joshua, no matter how he felt. Cutting the two kids loose, without a guardian, not prepared for the world, was plain irresponsible. One had literally missed the last twelve years and the other had experienced twelve years that he wished she could have missed. Artie didn't know what resources they had available, or even if they had somewhere to sleep at night. Claudia looked like she had spent more than one night on the streets. Artie's eye ticked as he thought. Joshua was simply too smart, too talented to just let go. He knew that he had to figure out some way to help them, and maybe even utilize Joshua's talents for the Warehouse.

"Mr. Nielsen? Mr. Nielsen!"

Pete and Myka turned around to find a doctor walking briskly towards them down the hallway. "Mr. Nielsen! You should **not** be out of your room!"

"We were just out for a little stroll to get some air." Pete tried, hoping that his charm would help them out.

"I need to be relocated to this floor." Artie suddenly told the doctor.

The man frowned. "Mr. Nielsen, the third floor is for infectious diseases and-"

"These two are under federal protection." Artie cut him off and motioned to Joshua and Claudia. Taken off guard, the doctor looked through the window. When he looked back to Artie, Myka had her badge out.

"Secret Service. I'd do as he says." She said, looking intimidating.

Artie looked up from his chair, grateful to have agents with him. Suddenly, he knew how to keep Joshua and Claudia in his sights. Access to Joshua was going to be through his sister. He said, "We need to have proximity to those two at all times. I need her room to be closer."

"What? Why?" The doctor asked.

"National security bub! That's why." Pete answered quickly, puffing his chest out a bit.

The doctor blinked three times rapidly, processing the request. Artie read the other man's body language and knew that was where he needed him to do what he wanted. "I would like to help, of course. I was notified about Mr. Nielsen's status, but I didn't realize that-let me talk to her attending physician. I'm sure that we can accommodate the government's needs."

The doctor gathered himself and said to Artie, "Federal agent or not I'm still your physician, and you're on bed rest."

In spite of himself, Artie knew that his body was barely holding up. "Fine." He motioned to the room next to Claudia's. "I'll take that one." He grabbed the wheels of his chair and started towards the room before Pete started pushing from behind.

"You can't just-" The doctor had to move his toe before Pete ran it over. "Hey!" The young man leaned down and put both hands on the arm rests, stopping the chair's motion. "You can't just take any room that you want! There are procedures that have to be followed, and paperwork."

Artie had to settle for scowling at the man in his face. His body was feeling weaker by the moment. He knew that the doctor could probably detect his deteriorating condition, as much as he was trying to hide it. Before Artie said anything Pete said, "Then you get started on it."

The doctor looked at Pete and Myka, then again at Artie. Staring down three federal agents, the young doctor sighed and stood upright. He said to Pete and Myka, "Get him into bed. No action, or- whatever you guys want to do. Strict bed rest." Pete nodded his agreement, so the young man stood aside, letting them pass.


	7. Bonus Chapter

**Thanks to Steampunk Archer and Moxy! You two are solid! )**

**Ok- so this bit isn't really a chapter- but was still just there and, I think, needed to wrap it all up and set the story back in line with the episodes. So- here it is.**

* * *

The hospital held both Claudia and Artie for two days, for recovery and monitoring. After such stressful days and weeks, when he was finally, literally forced to rest, Artie slept so much that he suspected his nurse of sedating him. The battle-ax nurse was so forceful at pressing back against the testy supervisor, that he actually thought it might be true.

On the morning of the second day, Artie rang Leena on the Farnsworth. He scratched the side of his recently shaven face while the Farnsworth buzzed somewhere in the Warehouse. Leena's black and white image came over the screen.

"Hello Artie." She smiled in her calming way. "You're looking better."

Artie grunted. He never knew how to respond to that from the woman, mostly because he didn't know if she was referring to his physical appearance, or his aura. "We should be getting back sometime this afternoon. That's IF Nurse Hilda gives me my walking papers."

"'Nurse Hilda'?" Leena asked, although she knew that she didn't really want the answer.

Artie shook his head slightly, indicating that she should forget it. "We're going to need two extra rooms at the B&B."

At first, Leena smiled, "Artie, it's only been a few days. I haven't gotten rid of Pete and Myka's rooms." But she saw his expression and slight shake of his head and grew suspicious. "Wait. Artie… Who is 'we'?"

Artie sighed a tiny breath, wondering why the woman had to ask for details. "Joshua and Claudia are going to stay with us for a while."

"What's a while?"

"Until that little… _hacker_ fixes everything that she broke at the Warehouse!" Artie heatedly said. "Without her, I'll be fixing her mess until Passover." He mumbled.

"Artie are you sure?"

Artie looked back at Leena's face in the Farnsworth. Her tone was asking him more than her words were. This wasn't Leena, the proprietor, asking. This was Leena, Warehouse helper, agent assistant and Artie's friend for many years, prodding him to make sure that he had fully thought through the implications of his actions. Artie heard her and understood her concerns. He had spent the time at the hospital not only recovering, but thinking through every angle of possibility that taking in Joshua and Claudia entailed. He knew that nothing was certain, but they, Joshua in particular, were worth the risk. Also, his conscious was saying that taking them in was the right move. After she fixed the Warehouse, his obligation would be fulfilled and they could go on their way, and he could finally end this whole chapter of Rheticus's Compass.

The old man nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. They'll stay as long as she needs to fix the mess that she made."

Leena eyed him a bit sideways. "All right. I'll add two rooms to the B&B."

She smirked at him, seeing the change in his aura, even through the Farnsworth, when he spoke of the two trouble makers. She saw a bit of warm emotional color rise out of his chest, low and close, meaning that it was still a very internal feeling. Leena could see that Artie had an emotional connection to Joshua and Claudia, but she also knew that he didn't realize that yet, so she tried to suppress the grin of admiration that she felt spreading over her face for Artie's ability to care after all that he'd been through. But Artie didn't notice anything unusual from the clairvoyant. He grunted his goodbye as he quickly flipped the Valdo device closed.


End file.
